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The Whitlam Government and the Racial Discrimination Act

Dr Tim Soutphommasane | Whitlam Legacy Series vol 5

In 1975, the year the Racial Discrimination Act was introduced by the Whitlam Government, Australia's population was just over 13.5 million. Fast forward 40 years and 24 million people now call Australia home, living in relative harmony in a rich and vibrantly multicultural society.

Examining the role of legislation in catalysing and embedding social change, our latest paper - The Whitlam Government and the Racial Discrimination Act (RDA) by Race Discrimination Commissioner Dr Tim Soutphommasane – delivers a succinct history of the Racial Discrimination Act, its passage through Parliament, and its impact on Australia today.

Read the paper:

Excerpt from speech delivered by Prime Minister, The Hon. Gough Whitlam QC at a Ceremony proclaiming the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 on 31 October 1975 in Canberra.